This invention relates to games of chance such as xe2x80x9cbingoxe2x80x9d which utilize a series of designations in the play of the game. More particularly, the invention relates to a security system which prevents fraud in the play of bingo-type games. The invention encompasses a method of generating a series of bingo designations, and also encompasses an apparatus and program product used in performing the method.
Certain games of chance utilize a randomly generated series of numbers or other indicia or designations in the play of the game. The game xe2x80x9cbingoxe2x80x9d is an example of such a game. In traditional bingo, players try to match randomly generated numbers to numbers on preprinted cards or electronic representations of preprinted cards. The random numbers are generated using a pool of objects such as balls each printed with a different number. These printed balls are mixed together in a mixing arrangement and individual balls are drawn at random. As each ball is drawn, the number printed on the respective ball is announced to the players as the next number in that game. The first player to produce a predetermined pattern of matched numbers on a card represents the winner of that game or that portion of the game. Depending upon the local regulations for such games of chance, the winning prizes may be products or cash.
In order to increase the speed at which the game may be played, and thus generally make the game more exciting and interesting, many aspects of bingo games have been automated. The ball draw may be automated so that an operator need only read the presently drawn ball and enter that number into an announcing and monitoring system for the game. It is also possible for the number reading and entry to be automated, although regulations may require a game operator to manually enter numbers drawn in the game. Another type of automation involves the distribution of game cards. In order to avoid the relatively slow and cumbersome process of distributing or selling physical bingo cards, electronic representations of bingo cards may be distributed across a computer network including a number or plurality of player terminals. A player may purchase one or more cards at a player terminal and the terminal may display electronic representations of the purchased cards. Numbers announced in the game may be communicated to the player terminal through network communications and the terminal may automatically note matches on the player""s cards and communicate a win back to the game operator.
Security problems arise from the reliance on the operator to input numbers drawn in the ball draw. Where an operator inputs the drawn numbers, it is possible for a player and the operator to collaborate to cheat in the game and improperly obtain the winning prizes. In a typical scenario, a player may note the numbers needed to produce a winning pattern on their physical or electronically generated card and then communicate those numbers to the game operator. The operator cooperating with that player may then ignore the numbers actually drawn in the ball draw and instead enter the numbers needed for their partner to win. The operator and their player/partner then split the ill gotten winnings.
It is an object of the invention to provide a bingo-type designation generating system which reduces or eliminates the possibility of fraud in the play of a game utilizing the designation. It is also an object of the invention to provide an apparatus and program product for producing designations for the play of a bingo-type game.
The method according to the invention includes mapping at least one physical designation available in the game draw to a virtual designation. The resulting map relating each physical designation to a virtual designation is not available to the game operator. When the physical designation is drawn and entered into the game system, the system converts the entered physical designation to the mapped or related virtual designation, and this virtual designation is the designation actually used in the play of the game. Thus, the operator is unable to cooperate with a player to cheat in the game by simply calling the physical designation needed by the player to win. The called physical designation will be converted to a virtual designation which will likely not be the designation needed by the player.
The term xe2x80x9cdesignationxe2x80x9d will be used in this disclosure and the following claims to describe the designation or designations printed or otherwise physically associated with the objects used in the game draw. The designation may be a number or any other type of designation. The term xe2x80x9cphysical designationxe2x80x9d refers to the actual designation physically associated with a particular object in an object draw system or the actual designation otherwise generated for the play of the bingo-type game, while the term xe2x80x9cvirtual designationxe2x80x9d refers to the designation mapped to the physical designation but otherwise unrelated to the physical designation. Items used to form the pool of objects for the game draw will be referred to in this disclosure and the following claims as xe2x80x9cobjects.xe2x80x9d Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the term xe2x80x9cobjectxe2x80x9d includes balls, cubes, or any other object which may be drawn or generated preferably at random from a pool of similar objects in a game draw. Importantly, the physical designation need not be associated with a xe2x80x9cphysicalxe2x80x9d object but may be drawn or generated by a suitable algorithm.
The term xe2x80x9cbingo-typexe2x80x9d game will be used in this disclosure and the accompanying claims to refer to any game in which drawn designations are matched to predetermined card designations on cards or card representations purchased by players of the game. This definition includes traditional bingo games played with paper bingo cards as well as bingo games implemented through electronic player terminals.
Although the invention encompasses mapping just one physical designation available in a game to a virtual designation, the preferred form of the invention includes mapping each physical designation included in the entire list of physical designations available in the game to a respective virtual designation. This mapping may be accomplished by a mapping processing device under the control of mapping computer program code. Also, the step of mapping is preferably done prior to the start of the game or prior to the beginning of the game draw.
The invention also preferably includes storing a mapping table. This mapping table includes an entry for each physical designation which has been mapped to a virtual designation. The mapping table may be stored in any suitable data storage device and may be generated using a processor under the control of computer program code. In one alternative form of the invention, each physical designation available in a game draw is mapped to a respective virtual designation and at least one additional virtual designation. In this form of the invention, each table entry includes the physical designation, the virtual designation, and each additional virtual designation. This form of the invention allows a single ball draw to be used to generate several different series of random designations for use in a number of the different games.
The conversion from physical designation to virtual designation is performed by a suitable conversion processing device under the control of conversion program code. This conversion step preferably comprises looking up the drawn physical designation in the mapping table and retrieving the virtual designation from that respective table entry.
The invention has particular application in a system in which an operator enters the physical designation from a drawn object into a monitoring computer connected to a network of player terminals. A network interface arrangement and associated interface program code communicates the designation in the game to the various player terminals. According to the invention, however, the interface communicates the virtual designation to the player terminals rather than the physical designation drawn in the game draw and entered by the game operator. Since the operator has no way of knowing which virtual designation will be related to a physical designation in the mapping step, the operator has no way of ensuring that a desired designation will be communicated to the players in the play of the game.
These and other objects, advantages, and features of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments, considered along with the accompanying drawings.